NEW MEMBERS 4

Why join your local Chamber?

1. FACILITATION

RAISE YOUR PROFILE AND CONNECT WITH OTHER MEMBERS

Regular Chamber and member and partner events programme

ANNUAL BUSINESS AWARDS CELEBRATION

2. INFORMATION

3. REPRESENTATION We welcome all our new members

The South Cheshire Chamber of Commerce is an amazing place to connect to your local business community, but don’t just take our word for it:

“These are challenging times for all businesses at the moment and it is reassuring to know that although many of the normal activities of the Chamber have had to be curtailed due to the pandemic your organisation is still able to provide an invaluable service to its members.”

Sue Judd, Everything Dinosaur

If you would like to share a testimonial, please send it through to jon.barnes@sccci.co.uk

Crewe Market Hall welcomed as new Chamber member

South Cheshire Chamber officials have hailed Crewe Market Hall a ‘real asset’ to the town after touring the new facility and meeting traders. Chamber Chief Executive Paul Colman and Chamber Manager Jon Barnes met businesses who have made the Grade II-listed building their new home after a £3m refurbishment. Now visitors can enjoy a variety of food from pizza, Mexican, as well as desserts and vegan options. There is also a bar, nail salon, food shop, art gallery and sustainable products stall. The Market Hall has been welcomed as a new member to the Chamber and Paul and Jon met traders keen to know more about the benefits of membership and connecting with the South Cheshire business community. Paul said:

“Historically Crewe Market Hall was the beating heart of the town centre and so it is again. The transformation is sympathetic to the heritage of the building and certainly has the ‘wow’ factor."

“The Chamber has lobbied for the support of the project and it has quickly become a real asset to Crewe. We were delighted to meet traders and see how enthusiastic and excited they are about being part of this town centre resurgence. “Hospitality has always been key to driving footfall into the town centre and reigniting its night-time economy. The market’s eating and drinking outlets support that and it has more to offer besides with a variety of start-up businesses and exciting events programme. “The traders we met were pleased with the footfall and how things are going so far. All in all, the Market Hall is a success story and we want to pay tribute to those partners who made it happen, including Cheshire East Council.” Entertainment is now in full flow with a weekly programme of live music and family

attractions such as a record fair and Crewe's first ever Young Traders Market. David Shaul, Digital Media & Events Strategist, said:

“We're pleased to become members of the Chamber and look forward to both utilising our membership to further benefit our local independent businesses and collaborate with others across the region.

Hosting workshops and networking events alongside the Chamber would be fantastic."

“Our first couple of months have been brilliant and what we've managed to achieve already as a collective has been incredible, bringing a fresh concept to Crewe as well as the first ever Young Traders Market and offering countless opportunities to local community groups, performers and of course businesses. That's without mentioning quickly becoming the hub of the community where friends and families come to relax, enjoy and socialise.” The refurbishment has seen the Victorian building’s large archways opened up as entrances and fitted with glazed doors, while external repairs have been made to the brickwork. Inside has undergone a complete redecoration and remodelling and the existing stalls have been replaced with units more in keeping with the building’s rich history. Doing brisk trade is The Crewe Dog where Paul and Jon sampled craft beer. Also pleased is artist David Jewkes. He said:

“The footfall has been great.

I’ve been able to display my work in a bright and airy environment and meet people really interested in art. Four pieces sold in a day.”

David is hosting a range of painting classes. "Twenty-five year old Jade Tyson has realised her dream of opening up a nail bar after giving up her job in a call centre and has now many clients on her books. “I love the community feel of the market and working alongside other people,” she said. Part of a total £50m programme of investment in the town centre, the refurbishment of the Earle Street Market Hall plays an important role in Crewe repositioning itself as a prime leisure and retail destination. The project was supported by the Government’s Local Growth Fund through Cheshire and Warrington Local Enterprise Partnership. See Facebook for more on what the Market Hall has to offer.

_ For more on joining the Chamber go to www.sccci.co.uk

CHAMBER NEWS This Floor

Unlike so many of our buildings, many long, lost and gone. It was Mr Hill who cast this floor, who was a famous John. A self-made man of pedigree, who stumped up all the cash, who was respected by the many, despite being bold and brash?

With sweat, with bricks, with hopes, with sand He laid this floor with all, forging this place by hand. A building that’s imposing, and today still sits quite grand. To fill a social gap, or need, or some may say demand.

Yes, this floor has a rich history, the foundation standing strong, standing the test of time till now, earning its place, to belong. Yes, this floor has a rich history, warmed by the sun when naked, bare, soaking up its shining glow, before moving on, elsewhere. Yes, this floor has a rich history, with stalls wheeled around in a parade, Prime place always depending, on who owed rent and who had paid?

A market hall once bustling, with cattle in their herds, morphed into enterprising traders, with a pet shop selling birds. To Addisons famous tea stall, selling baps and pies and rolls, that stirred up old emotions, deep inside to enrich your soul.

Yes, this floor has a rich history, the stress and strain of market life, working with apprentices, partners, or a wife. Yes, this floor has a rich history, old stains of butcher’s blood, then mopping every evening, of rubber imprints and dry mud. Yes, this floor has a rich history, tears, and tantrums, slips and falls, more than a play at the Lyceum, between this halls, walls, and floor.

And now it’s been reborn again, new opportunities to succeed, new chances to find a home again and to take the lead. Regenerating optimism, generating cash, generating interest for greater impact and make a splash.

Enjoy a wood fired pizza that’s fresh and hot and made for foodies, or a burger, waffle, cake or wrap or super healthy smoothie. Come and ponder over paintings, staring to find true meaning, or have a beer at Crewe Dog, sitting, standing, leaning.

Yes, this floor will create rich history, new memories laid on old, same ethics, roots and skills required, dynamic businesses, stories untold. Yes, this floor will create rich history, conversations about first dates, nervous agitations with half eaten food on plates. Yes, this floor will create rich history, so let us celebrate its new purpose, for the memories, this floor holds are dear and just floating on the surface.

This day we descend upon it, all invited to come down. To stand right here on this floor again, in the Jewel of Crewe Town.

Written by Gareth Williams

www.lifepoemsaboutyou.co.uk